Barbara Mikulski

Barbara Mikulski (20 July 1936-) was a member of the US Senate from Maryland (D) from 3 January 1987 to 3 January 2017, succeeding Charles Mathias and preceding Chris Van Hollen; he also served in the US House of Representatives from Maryland's 3rd district from 3 January 1977 to 3 January 1987, succeeding Paul Sarbanes and preceding Ben Cardin.

Biography
Barbara Mikulski was born in the Highlandtown, Baltimore, Maryland on 20 July 1936 to a family of Polish immigrants. She attended Mount Saint Agnes College and the University of Maryland School of Social Work before becoming a social worker and community organizer. In 1971, she was elected to the Baltimore City Council, and she delivered a widely publicized speech on the "ethnic movement" in America. In 1976, she was elected to the US House of Representatives from Maryland's 3rd district, and she was elected to the US Senate ten years later. She opposed the Gulf War and Iraq War, opposed predatory lending, supported abortion rights, supported a bailout of the financial market, and supported naturopathic medicine. She left the Senate in 2017 after thirty years, and Chris Van Hollen succeeded her.